For the study of Liberal, SDP and Issue 71 / Summer 2011 / £6.00 Liberal Democrat history Journal of LiberalHI ST O R Y Liberal PMs in retirement Kevin Theakston The afterlives of former Liberal prime ministers Constance Rynder Sheelagh Murnaghan and the Ulster Liberal Party Martin Horwood MP Cheltenham’s Liberal history Ross Finnie Russell Johnston A passionate and articulate exponent of Liberalism Russell Deacon Welsh women Liberals It wasn’t only Lloyd George’s daughters Liberal Democrat History Group LiberaL History news summer 2011 Welsh Liberal History lecture and tribute to Lord Livsey at the Hay Festival The Hay literature festival, Professor Deacon took the were touched upon: the Lloyd 1985 historic by-election win a favourite haunt of Liberal audience through the period Georges, David, Gwilym was the first post-war Welsh Democrats, this year featured from the Welsh party’s founda- and Megan, Clement Davies, Liberal gain and the only one a recollection of Welsh Liberal tion with the creation of the Reginald McKenna, Sir Alfred ever in a by-election. Roger history. On 26 May, Professor Welsh National Council on Mond, Tom Ellis, Thomas Williams MP gave a summary Russell Deacon, the Welsh Lib- 7 October 1887 up until the Waterhouse, Geraint Howells, of Lord Livsey’s attributes as eral historian, gave a 45-minute recent Welsh Assembly elec- Emlyn Hooson, Geraint (G.W) a leader of the Welsh party, a talk based on an exploration tion. The audience learnt how Madoc Jones, Roger Roberts, constituency MP, promoter of of the development of Wales’ different coalitions and pacts Martin Thomas, Winston Rod- devolution, political organ- oldest political party, some of altered the party’s name and dick, Mary Murphy (Thomas) iser and finally as a friend and its heroes and villains and how identity. They discovered the and Lord Ogmore. mentor to so many Liberal its more prominent members reason why Liberals created a The talk ended with a trib- Democrats. The talk was also have shaped Welsh and British North and a South Wales fed- ute to the late Richard Livsey attended by Lord Livsey’s history. There was also a spe- eration and why a Mid Wales (Baron Livsey of Talgarth). widow, Rene. cial reference made to the late federation never developed. His background in Welsh and The talk was based on Pro- Hay Festival Vice-President The Welsh Liberal Party has then Scottish politics, and the fessor Deacon’s forthcoming and President of the European produced plenty of national way that he rebuilt the Brecon book: The History of the Liberal Movement in Wales, Lord heroes and villains over its & Radnor constituency party and Liberal Democrat parties in Richard Livsey of Talgarth. existence, and many of these in the 1980s was explored. His Wales (Welsh Academic Press). richard wainwright, the Liberals and Liberal Democrats: unfinishedb usiness by Matt Cole, published by Manchester University Press; foreword by Vince Cable MP A study of Liberal Party history through the life of one of its parliamentarians, organisers and benefactors during its darkest days, this book examines how and why the Liberals and Liberalism survived from the 1930s to the 21st century. It sees, through Wainwright’s experience, the revival of the 1960s, the beginning and end of the Thorpe leadership, the Lib-Lab Pact, the Alliance and the merger; and it highlights the role of Liberal activism and Liberal principles in the party’s fate. ‘Compulsory reading for the next generation of Liberal Democrat Leaders.’ Simon Hughes MP ‘Engrossing … reading Cole’s book, I found Wainwright’s life admirable and moving.’ Daniel Finkelstein, The Times ‘This wonderful biography captures the essence of a remarkable man and his brand of radical liberalism.’ Baroness Helena Kennedy Available to Journal of Liberal History readers at the special price of £30 (including P&P). Send cheques (payable to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) to LDHG, 134 Haunch Lane, Birmingham B13 0PY. 2 Journal of Liberal History 71 Summer 2011 Journal of Liberal History issue 71: summer 2011 The Journal of Liberal History is published quarterly by the Liberal Democrat History Group. ISSN 1479-9642 Liberal history news 2 Editor: Duncan Brack Welsh Liberal history lecture and tribute to Lord Livsey at the Hay Festival. Deputy Editor: Tom Kiehl Assistant Editor: Siobhan Vitelli Biographies Editor: Robert Ingham The afterlives of former Liberal prime ministers 4 Reviews Editor: Dr Eugenio Biagini Kevin Theakston looks at the lives in retirement of Russell, Gladstone, Contributing Editors: Graham Lippiatt, Tony Little, Rosebery, Asquith and Lloyd George. York Membery Sheelagh Murnaghan and the Ulster Liberal 14 Patrons Dr Eugenio Biagini; Professor Michael Freeden; Party Professor John Vincent The life and political career of the only Liberal to win a seat in the Northern Ireland parliament; by Constance Rynder. Editorial Board Dr Malcolm Baines; Dr Roy Douglas; Dr Barry Doyle; Letters to the Editor 21 Dr David Dutton; Professor David Gowland; Professor Mill and Morley (Patrick Jackson); Mill and equality (Dinti Batstone); Richard Grayson; Dr Michael Hart; Peter Hellyer; Dr J. Chamberlain’s relatives (Adrian Slade); Liberal peerages (Peter Hatton). Graham Jones; Dr Tudor Jones; Tony Little; Professor Ian Machin; Dr Mark Pack; Dr Ian Packer; Dr John Powell; Ed Randall; Jaime Reynolds; Dr Andrew Russell; Iain Sharpe Cheltenham’s Liberal history 22 Martin Horwood MP examines the Liberal heritage of his home town. Editorial/Correspondence Contributions to the Journal – letters, articles, and Russell Johnston 28 book reviews – are invited. The Journal is a refereed Biography of this passionate and articulate exponent of Liberalism; by Ross publication; all articles submitted will be reviewed. Contributions should be sent to: Finnie. Duncan Brack (Editor) 54 Midmoor Road, London SW12 0EN Reports 35 email: [email protected] Lords reform 1911–2011, with Lord Norton and Lord Marks; report by Mark Pack; Class of’81: who are the true heirs of the SDP? with Andrew Adonis, All articles copyright © Journal of Liberal History. Chris Huhne MP and Greg Clark MP; report by Tom Frostick. Advertisements Welsh women Liberals 38 Full page £100; half page £60; quarter page £35. Discounts available for repeat ads or offers to readers It wasn’t only Lloyd George’s daughters; by Russell Deacon. (e.g. discounted book prices). To place ads, please contact the Editor. Reviews 44 Theakston, After Number 10: Former Prime Ministers in British Politics, reviewed Subscriptions/Membership by J. Graham Jones; Egan, Coming into Focus: The Transformation of the Liberal An annual subscription to the Journal of Liberal History Party 1945–1964, reviewed by Malcolm Baines; Cragoe and Readman (eds.), costs £20.00 (£12.50 unwaged rate). This includes The Land Question in Britain 1750–1950, reviewed by J. Graham Jones; Johns, membership of the History Group unless you inform Death of a Pirate: British Radio and the Making of the Information Age, reviewed us otherwise. Non-UK subscribers should add £5.00. by William Wallace; McKibbin, Parties and People 1914–1951, reviewed by The institutional rate is £50.00, which includes online Iain Sharpe. access. As well as printed copies, online subscribers are able to access online copies of current and all past Journals. Online subscriptions are also available to individuals at £40.00. Cheques (payable to ‘Liberal Democrat History Group’) should be sent to: Patrick Mitchell 6 Palfrey Place, London SW8 1PA; email: [email protected] Payment is also possible via our website, Liberal Democrat History Group www.liberalhistory.org.uk. The Liberal Democrat History Group promotes the discussion and research of topics relating to the histories of the Liberal Democrats, Liberal Party, and SDP, and of Liberalism. The Cover design concept: Lynne Featherstone Group organises discussion meetings and produces the Journal of Liberal History and other Published by the Liberal Democrat History Group, occasional publications. c/o 54 Midmoor Road, London SW12 0EN For more information, including historical commentaries, details of publications, back issues Printed by Kall-Kwik, of the Journal, and archive and other research sources, see our website at: 18 Colville Road, London W3 8BL www.liberalhistory.org.uk. July 2011 Chair: Tony Little Honorary President: Lord Wallace of Saltaire Journal of Liberal History 71 Summer 2011 3 Sooner or later, every prime minister becomes a former prime minister, and the ‘club’ of former prime ministers is a tHe aFTERLiVES oF FORMER small and exclusive one. However, over the years, few of its members have left Number 10 Downing LIBERAL PRIMe MINISTERS Street as happy, contented or fulfilled people, or at a time and in a manner of their own choosing. There has been (and there still is) no fixed or established role in public and political life for former prime ministers. What they do after they leave office depends very much on personal choices and on circumstances, including the reaction and attitudes of still- active politicians and of political parties to the former political and governmental leader. There is little in the way of a common pattern. Kevin Theakston looks at the afterlives of five former Liberal prime ministers: Russell, Gladstone, Rosebery, Asquith and Lloyd George. 4 Journal of Liberal History 71 Summer 2011 tHe aFTERLiVES oF FORMER LIBERAL PRIMe MINISTERS t one point, in the (Aberdeen and Palmerston), before they were retiring but, rather, still 1920s, there were, resuming the premiership in 1865. believed they had, and were per- remarkably, three Gladstone had withdrawn from the ceived to have, political futures. former Liberal prime party leadership after the Liber- When Rosebery resigned in ministers alive at the als’ electoral defeat in 1874 and for 1895 he was only forty-eight years Asame time: Lord Rosebery, Asquith a while disengaged from politics old – the youngest former prime and Lloyd George.